Zither.



J. KRIENITZ.

ZITHEB.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1910.

Patented July 5,1910.

wumz 7H5 NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, o. c:v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN KRIENITZ, 0F ALMA, KANSAS.

ZITHER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN- KnIENiTz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alma, in the county of lVabaunsee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Zithers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in zithers.

One object of the invention is to provide a zither having a neck or arm projecting from one end thereof on which is arranged a finger board having the usual number of frets and over which are arranged melody strings corresponding to violin or mandolin strings, said strings being connected at their outer ends to keys and at their innerends to a bridge firmly secured to the sounding board of the instrument.

Another object is to provide a wrist board adapted to support the wrist and hand of the player over the strings and sounding board.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consist-s of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a zither constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the body of the instrument which is preferably of the shape shown and on which is arranged a sounding board 2 having formed therein the usual opening 3. Over one side of the sounding board is arranged a series of base or accompaniment strings at, which are connected at one end to the upper end of the sounding board and pass over a bridge 5 at its end and thence across the board and over a bridge 6 at the lower end of the board where the ends of the strings are connected to suitable tuning keys 7.

Secured t0 the upper end of the body po tion adjacent to the end of the bridge 5 is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 10, 1910.

Patented July 5, 1910. Serial No. 537,265.

longitudinally projecting neck 8 corresponding to the neck of a violin, mandolin or similar instrument. On the neck 8 is arranged a finger board 9 provided with the usual number and arrangement of frets 10. Over the frets of the finger board 9 and the adj acentportion of the sounding board 2 at the inner end of the finger board are a series of melody strings 11, said strings being connected at their inner ends to fastening pins on a bridge 12 secured to the sounding board of the instrument. The outer ends of the strings 11 are secured to suitable tuning keys 13 arranged in the head l-it of the neck 8. The strings 11 are preferably arranged in the order of a violins strings and on these is played the melody, while the accompaniment is played on the strings l over the sounding board of the Zither.

Arranged across the lower portion of the sounding board 3 and over the lower portion of the accompaniment strings is a hand support 15, the outer ends of which are secured to the edges of the board as shown. The hand board is supported a suitable distance above the strings l and is adapted to support the wrist and hand of the player thereby relieving the hand and wrist of a great deal of strain when using the instrument.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle Or sacrificing any of the advantages of this iiWent-ion as defined in the ap pended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is A musical instrument of the class described, comprising a hollow body portion, a sound board arranged thereon, said board having an opening, a series of accompaniment strings arranged over said sounding board, a neck secured to one end of the instrument, a bridge secured to said sounding board adjacent to one side of the accompaniment strings and substantially midway between the ends of the board, a series of melody strings connected at their outer ends In testimony whereof I have hereunto set to the outer end of said neck and at their my hand in presence of two subscribing witinner ends to said bridge and a hand-supnesses.

porting board secured at its opposite edges JOHN KRIENITZ. to the side edges of the sounding board and WVitnesses: extending over said board and accompani- MAY BELLE HUBER,

ment strings and below the melody strings. J. H. NEWEN. 

